This invention relates to cooking foods on a charcoal grill or the like; and, more particularly, to an improved way of adding large thick, dry wood shavings or chips mixed in with lump charcoal or charcoal briquettes as a way to ignite the charcoal.
As is well-known in the culinary arts, grilling food such as hamburgers, hot dogs, brats of various types, steaks, vegetables, etc., begins with someone placing charcoal briquettes in the bottom of a grill or fire pit and then igniting them. Once the charcoal is ignited and allowed to burn to a certain point (which varies according to who is doing the grilling and what is being grilled), the food is placed on a grill and cooked using the heat directed upward from the burning charcoal. Most charcoal is ignited (“started”) using a flammable chemical (petroleum based) solvent. This “starter fluid” is either sprayed or poured onto to the charcoal and lit by applying a match or flame from a torch to the saturated briquettes. Alternately, a manufacturer will sell bags of charcoal marketed as a self-lighting charcoal; as, for example, Kingsford® Match Light® charcoal. Now, instead of spraying or pouring a starter fluid on the briquettes, the user simply applies a match to the charcoal to ignite it. Finally, in some instances other forms of lighting charcoal or used. These include, for example, grills that have an electric ignition or charcoal chimneys in which the briquettes are placed so to concentrate the heat of combustion.
Use of starter fluids and the like present certain hazards both to the person doing the lighting and those around them. Sprayed or poured fuel can inadvertently get on one's body or clothing and be inadvertently ignited causing someone to be burned. In other instances the fluid can get on flammable materials (e.g., paper plates, cups, napkins) in areas close to the grill and inadvertently set on fire. Another potential cause of harm occurs when the starter fluid is sprayed on an existing fire because someone does not believe the charcoal has been sufficiently lit, or if self-lighting charcoal is added to replenish the charcoal in the grill that has burned down to a level insufficient to cook food. In this regard it will be noted that it is not recommended to add self-lighting charcoal to an existing fire because the fire can jump up and spread to the bag, igniting fumes in the bag (or solvent remaining in the bag or on the user's hands) and causing serious injury.
In addition to these potential hazards, solvents produce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and can also add a disagreeable flavor to foods if the VOCs have not totally burned off before cooking is started.
As regards solvents added to the charcoal during manufacture of self-lighting charcoal, these tend to evaporate over time and affect the self-lighting capability of the charcoal, either reducing this capability or eliminating it altogether. Also, solvent emissions from self-lighting charcoal may necessitate the use of special, high cost barrier bags in which the product is sold, so to reduce or prevent the evaporation of solvents.
This invention described herein has significant advantages over all of these current methods.